Penang Island Municipal Council only grants permission to owners to tear down non-heritage structures
GEORGE TOWN: THE state government maintains that the demolition of old bungalows in George Town had been carried out according to the law.
Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) had recently expressed concern over the demolitions.
State Local Government and Traffic Management Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow said the Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) had only granted permission to owners to tear down non-heritage structures.
He said MPPP would check its inventory of protected buildings to determine whether the structures were categorised as buildings with historical or architectural value.
"The list was drawn up by the council and has been in use since the 1990s. If a building is not classed as a heritage or historical building, it can be torn down with the council's permit," he said.
Chow was responding to MPPP councillor Dr Lim Mah Hui's criticism of the local authorities' attitude in "only protecting houses in the Unesco World Heritage zone".
Lim, who was at last month's full-board council meeting, also called for a moratorium on the granting of approval for the demolition of buildings on the island that were more than 50 years old and had architectural value.
Lim also demanded that MPPP disclosed the number of historically and culturally significant buildings that had been approved for demolition since 2008.
He cited several examples of demolished bungalows in George Town, such as the double-storey bungalow at 20, Lebuhraya Pykett, off Jalan Burma here.
There was a public outcry when the bungalow was torn down without a council permit in July 2010. There was further criticism from the public when the developer was only fined RM6,000 by a Magistrate's Court here for the illegal demolition.
Following the Pykett incident, NGOs and civil society organisations, especially heritage conservationists, started keeping a closer watch on old bungalows in George Town.
But, that did not stop two bungalows in Lorong Burma, Pulau Tikus, one of which was occupied by former Thai premier Phraya Manopakorn Nititada (1884-1948) and another at 177, Jalan Macalister from being demolished in recent months to make way for new developments.
Chow said the local authorities had no ruling that prohibited buildings more than 50 years old from being torn down.
"When a buyer purchases a property, he will check whether the building on the property is classified as heritage or not.
"If the structure is not a heritage building and has no historical or architectural value, it would be unfair to tell the owner that he cannot knock it down," he said.
Chow stressed that there had not been cases of classified heritage buildings being torn down in George Town unlawfully.
The only unlawful demolition was that of the Pykett bungalow, Chow added.
He noted that the structure was not even classified as heritage or having historical value.
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